CULTIVO UNA ROSA BLANCA

20 December 2007

by Jacques Lange, Icograda President 2005-2007

by Jacques Lange, Icograda President 2005-2007

The following remarks were delivered by Jacques
Lange, Icograda President 2005-2007, during the closing ceremonies of
Design/Culture: Icograda World Design Congress 2007. The Congress took
place in La Habana, Cuba from 20-26 October 2007. Delegates from more
than 50 countries attended.

We
have come to the end of the Icograda World Design Congress in La
Habana, and I believe that it is appropriate to close with the poem,
'Cultivo Una Rosa Blanca' por Jose Marti / 'I Cultivate a White Rose'
by Jose Marti:

This
beautiful poem is a metaphor for what we experienced during the past
five days. Designers from all over the world coming together in La
Habana to share ideas, experiences, knowledge and friendship. But even
more importantly, we celebrated cultural diversity and the passion that
we all have for the profession of design.

I wish to
invite the Cuban Vice Minister of Culture, Fernando Rojas, to accept a
symbolic gesture of six white roses on behalf of the international
design community - one each representing North America, South America,
Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania - as a symbol of what Icograda stands
for. May the metaphorical rose bush that we planted during the past few
days bloom into prosperity all over the world.

I also
request that each and every delegate in this room go back home and
plant a white rose bush as a symbol of our commitment to make the world
a better and more tolerant place and let the roses that will bloom year
after year remind us of our true purpose in this world.

As
designers, we are called on to provide solutions to challenges of every
kind in every sector of society to enhance the quality of life and the
diversity of bottom-lines for all stakeholders. The world is becoming
smaller by the day and I believe that it is our responsibility as
designers to use our unique skills and talents of creativity and
problem solving to make the world a better and culturally richer
planet.

This opens up new possibilities for
communicating and designing across cultures - cultures of all kinds -
that were previously inaccessible or unavailable. It also carries with
it many new responsibilities to consider the power of communication
design to unite or divide.

Again I wish to quote the
words of a visionary cultural personality, the musician and lyricist Si
Kahn who wrote a song entitled 'What you do with what you've got':

It's not what you're born with It's what you choose to bear It's not how big your share is It's how much you can share It's not the fights you dreamed of It's those you really fought It's not what you're given It's what you do with what you've got Between those who run to glory and those who cannot run Tell me which ones are the cripples and which ones touch the sun"

Ultimately,
we need to 'touch the sun' and therefore we need to apply visionary
design thinking for achieving our common goals.

As
designers we need to demonstrate the value of design in a more profound
and beneficial manner. We need to do valuable things that are also
valuable to all people across the globe. This implies creating new
depth, relevance and resonance around the design industries and its
economic, social, cultural and environmental responsibilities.

We
have embraced our responsibilities during these past five days, and
debated the diverse aspects of 'culture' and 'design'. This will
continue later on tonight when we will celebrate friendship and the
brotherhood and sisterhood of the international design community with
great Cuban music, drinks and cuisine.

Tomorrow and the
day after we will continue with the task at hand when the members of
Icograda will meet at the Icograda General Assembly 22 where the agenda
will address some critical issues that relate to the governance of the
design profession.

In conclusion, I wish to thank the
individuals and organisations that made this important Congress a
reality and our delegates who traveled from all over the world to
participate in this event. May you take only fond memories back home
and spread the ethos and philosophy of Icograda.